Bed-spring and tightener.



C. C. MITCHELL'ZQ W. J. BARHAM. BED SPRING AND TIGHTENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, 1916.

1,223,193. Patented Apr. 17, 1917.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

Charla GMit'chell, Walter .Barkamg.

r NORRIS'PETEIJS m. pumpurnan wAsmm: mu. 0. c.

CHARLES C. MITCHELL AND WALTER J; BARHAM, 0F DALLAS, OREGON.

BED-SPRING AND TIGHTENER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 15, 1916. Serial No. 84,402.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES C. MITCH- ELL and WALTER J. BARHAM, citizens of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Polk and State of. Oregon, haye invented new and useful Improvements in Bed-Springs and Tighteners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in collapsible beds, bed springs and tighteners.

One object of the invention is to efi'ect improvements in the construction of the bed frame whereby the same may be readily set up for use, and may be readily disassembled for packing and transportatlon and 1s especially adapted for use by tourists, campers, and others.

Another object is to effect improvements in the construction of the supporting legs of the bed frame.

Another object is to provide improved means for attaching and tighteningthe bed spring or bottom.

With the above and other objects in View, the invention consists in the construction,

combination, and arrangement of devices, hereinafter described and cla med.

In the accompanying draw1ngs:-

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bed,

bed spring, and tightener constructed and arranged in accordance with our lnventlon and showing the same set up, ready for use.

Fig. 2 is a detail plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail transverse sectlonal view of the same.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of one of the legs.

Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of one of the cross braces.

Fig. 6 is a similar view of one of the leg braces.

Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of one of the rollers and one of the corner plates in which the roller is mounted.

Fig. 8 is a similar view of the same at right angles to Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a similar view of the other roller and one of the corner plates in which it is mounted.

Fig. 10 is a detailed inverted plan of one of the side rails, showing one of the blocks and also showing one end of one of the cross brace rods secured to said block.

In the construction of the bed or frame,

we provide a pair of side rails 1 which are here shown as L-bars and are preferably made of iron or steel. Each rail is arranged with a vertical web 2 on the outer side and a horizontal inwardly extending web 3 on the inner side and is provided near thehead-end with a pair of blocks 4, secured on the near side of the web 2 and each provided with a vertical opening 5, the said openings 5 being coincident with similar openings 1n the web 3. Near the opposite end, each rail is provided with a similar block 6 secured to its web 2- and arranged on the inner side thereof.

A cross brace rod 7 is employed to connect the side rails 1 near their head ends, and said cross brace rod is provided at the ends with forked or angled arms 8, each of which is provided with a down turned outer end .3, the said ends 9 being inserted. in the openings 5 of the blocks 4 and through the corresponding openings in the webs 3 of the side rails, so that the said cross brace rod firmly and yet detachably connects the side rails 1, near their head ends. A straight cross brace rod 10 connects the rails 1 near their foot ends and has down turned ends 11 which are inserted in the openings in the webs 3 of the side rails. The cross brace rods may be readily detached when it is desired to collapse the bed frame and permit of its being compactly stored or readily transported as will be understood.

We also provide legs 12 for the bed frame, each of which is also, in practice, an L-bar of iron or steel and thus provided with an outer web 13 and with an inwardly extending web 14. The web 14 is split from the upper end portion of the web 13 as at 15, to form a brace arm 16 which extends upwardly and outwardly from the leg, at an angle to about 45 degrees with reference thereto, and is longitudinally channeled in the upper side, as at 17. The upper end of the web 13 of each leg is pivotally secured on the outer side of one of the rails 1, as by means of a bolt 18, thus adapting the legs to be folded up against the rails 1 or to be turned downwardly therefrom and arranged nearly at'right angles thereto, and when the legs are thus turned downwardly to support the bed, the channels 17 of the arms 16 bear under the web 2 of the side rails 1 as shown, and thus the legs are firmly braced and held in supporting position. Each leg is also secured in sup porting position by means of a brace rod 19 having oppositely turned ends 20, 21 which are respectively inserted through openings in the cross brace rods and in the webs 14 of the legs, and are detachably secured as by means of cotter pins or cleats 22. It will be understood that the brace rods 19 must be detached from the legs before the latter can be folded up against the side rails 1.

At the head end of the frame are a pair of corner plates 23 which are secured on the outer sides of the side rails 1 by rivets 24 and project upwardly from said rails 1 and are provided near their upper ends with bearings for the reception of the ends of a head roller 25. Said head roller is tubular, is preferably made of a suitable length of iron or steel pipe, and has a longitudinal slot 26 in one side for the reception of one end of a spring or bottom fabric 27 and said roller is provided with bolts 28 for securing the head end of the spring or bottom fabric thereto. The head roller is provided near its ends with outturned lugs 28, 29, to engage opposite sides of the corner plates and prevent end play. Each corner plate 23 has a cap 30 secured thereto as by means of rivets 31, said caps covering the ends of the roller 25. A ratchet wheel 32 is secured on the roller near one end thereof, is arranged against the inner side of one of the corner plates and has an inwardly extending lug 33 which engages in the slot 26 of the roller. A dog 34 is pivotally mounted on the near side of said corner plate as at 35 to engage with the ratchet wheel and a wrench 36 is also provided which may be engaged with the ratchet wheel and used for turning the roller 25 in the required direction to tighten the spring or bed bottom fabric 27 a as will be understood. We also Provide a pair of corner plates 37 which are similar to the corner plates 24 and are secured by rivets 38 on the outer side of the said rails 1 at the foot ends thereof and are provided with openings 39vfor the reception of the ends of the tubular foot roller 40 and also with inwardly extending lugs 41 to engage in the slot 42 of said roller and thus hold the latter firmly and against rotation in the may be also readily detached. To enable the corner plates to be readily detached when desired from the end rails 1, bolts may be employed instead of rivets for securing them.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a collapsible bed frame of the class described, side rails, each having a downwardly extending web, legs, each having an outer web and an inwardly extending web, each leg having the upper end of its inwardly extending web bent away from the upper portion of the outer web and provided with a channel in its upper side, the outer web of each leg being pivotally connected to one of the side rails near the upper end of said leg, so that said legs are adapted to fold inwardly against the said rails, the channeled and angled arms of said legs being adapted, when the legs are in supporting position to engage the under edges of the vertical webs of said side rails.

2. In a collapsible bed frame of the class described, a pair of side rails, cross brace rods detachably secured thereto, legs pivotally connected to said side rails and each having a brace member to engage under one of the side rails when said legs are in supporting position, and brace rods detachably connected each to one of said cross brace rods intermediate its ends and to one of said legs.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLIE C. MITCHELL. WALTER J. BARHAM. Witnesses:

Gno. H. BRONSON, CARL H. MoNooK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, Washington, D. C. 

